Big-hitting Ali powers Pakistan to victory over Afghanistan
Asif Ali struck four sixes in the penultimate over to see Pakistan clinch a five-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the Twenty20 World Cup Super 12s with six balls to spare in Dubai.
Pakistan maintained their flawless start to the tournament with their third successive victory against an Afghanistan side who had fought back to put themselves in a good position. Chasing 148 to win, Pakistan needed 24 from 12 deliveries at the end of the 18th over and Ali had faced just one ball. But Karim Janat struggled to execute the yorker and was taken for 24 in an over by Ali who finished with 25 from just seven balls.
Earlier in the innings Rashid Khan claimed his 100th Twenty20 international wicket, becoming the fastest player to do so, in just 54 matches when Mohammad Hafeez picked out Gulbadin Naib in the deep for just 10 runs.
After the power play, Pakistan had reached 38 for one following the early loss of wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, for just eight. However, that brought Fakhar Zaman to the crease and alongside the captain Babar Azam they put on a crucial partnership which saw the score reach 72 for one at the halfway point.
Azam top-scored with 51 from 47 after opening at the top of the order, before being bowled by Rashid Khan in the final over of the leg-spinner's spell. But despite Khan finishing with two wickets and going for just 26 runs from his four overs, it was not enough for Afghanistan in the end.
The result ensures Pakistan consolidate their position at the top of the table while Afghanistan sit second with one win and one defeat so far in the Super 12s stage.
Defending champions the West Indies kept their dreams alive with a nail-biting threerun win over Bangladesh.
Both the West Indies and their opponents headed into the fixture at Sharjah with two defeats from their opening two matches, with the 2016 winners having been beaten by England last weekend. But West Indies claimed their first Super 12 win and all but ended Bangladesh's slim hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
The West Indies face Sri Lanka on Thursday, while Bangladesh play South Africa on Tuesday.